Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images
Jun 11, 2026; Portland, Oregon, USA; WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert meets with the working media before Portland Fire against the Las Vegas Aces at Moda Center.
As a general rule of thumb, it’s never a good sign for the commissioner of a sports league to be in the news on a weekly basis.
Unfortunately for WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, she’s been unable to avoid the headlines in recent weeks, and that could well lead to her departure following the 2026 season, according to a new report.
Engelbert, who took over the role in 2019 after serving as the CEO of Deloitte, has been under fire from every angle of late as fans criticize her for either not defending Caitlin Clark enough or not defending opposing players from those who are happy to use Clark as an avenue to attack them.
Engelbert had an opportunity to set the record straight recently in an interview with Dan Patrick, but she ultimately opted to decline the interview after initially accepting.
Now it appears the clock is ticking on her tenure as the head of the ever-growing league.
WNBA Stakeholders Looking For New Commissioner To Replace Cathy Engelbert
Alexa Philippou of ESPN spoke with over 20 stakeholders across the WNBA, and the consensus opinion seems to be that Engelbert is not fit to lead the league through its next chapter.
“Here we are with all this stuff that’s happened,” a team executive told Philippou, “and it just, at different points, has felt like, ‘Where are you?'”
Conversations with more than 20 stakeholders in and around the WNBA offer a general belief that for as much business growth as Cathy Engelbert has overseen, she’s not the right person to navigate the demands the league currently faces and what its stakeholders now need.
“I do…
— Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) July 24, 2026
Another credited Engelbert for the league’s financial growth during her tenure. However, they feel that now is the right time for a change of leadership.
“I do think Cathy thinks, well, she’s done her job. She got us financially set up the right way,” they said. “It’s the other pieces that we’re talking about.”
Engelbert isn’t going away quietly, despite the noise surrounding her.
“I’m focused head-down on executing this highly, highly successful 30th season,” she said. “I love this league. We’re going to continue to drive the business. And don’t worry about me. It’s more about the team. That’s what we’ve built here at the W. So, I’m really, really optimistic about where we’re going in the future.”
Will she be the one to lead the league into that future? Only time will tell. But it sure feels as if there’s a lot working against her.